Historian David Irving has been called a "racist" under cross-examination at the Holocaust libel trial at London's High Court.

Mr Irving, 62, is suing Prof Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books over the 1994 book, Denying The Holocaust: The Growing Assault On Truth And Memory, which he says has generated "waves of hatred" against him.

The defendants, who deny libel, have accused him of being a liar and a falisfier of history.

The accusation of racism - denied in court by Mr Irving - was made by Mr Richard Rampton QC, for Prof Lipstadt and Penguin.

He said the author had recited a "racist ditty" to his baby daughter when he took her out for a walk.

'Perverted racist'

Commenting on Mr Irving's utterances "both in public and private on the subject of Jews, blacks etc", Mr Rampton read out an extract from Mr Irving's personal diaries in which the historian referred to a poem he had sung his daughter when "half-breed children" were wheeled past.

Prof Lipstadt: Challenges Mr Irving

Mr Rampton said: "The poor little child is being taught a racist ditty by her perverted racist father."

But Mr Irving replied: "I am not a racist."

He said he had employed "coloured people and ethnic minorities" on his staff and said that Mr Rampton's defence team did not employ "one such person".

Mr Justice Gray, who is hearing the trial without a jury, intervened after Mr Irving repeated the comment and told him it was "not helpful".